Parapodiums, also known as ambulation and mobility platforms, are used with victims of lower paralysis, cerebral palsy, and similar diseases and medical problems, particularly with children, wherein the patient is unable to stand unaided. Such patients require significant firm support in either a standing or sitting position, but if adequately supported are able to function well with the arms and hands, and in many cases, become ambulatory by the use of crutches. It is important that such patients spend time each day standing to prevent bone and muscle structure in the legs and hips from softening. Additionally, the use of a parapodium is important from the psychological aspect of permitting the child to participate, within limits, in group activites, and for the child to be ambulatory with the use of crutches reduces the supervision and care required.
Leg bracing devices as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,573,866 and 2,772,674 provide the type of aid which permits patients having paralysis in the lower extremities, to stand and maneuver with crutches. Likewise, the orthopedic device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,773 permits smaller children to be supported in a safe manner in a substantially upright position. Crutchless standing devices providing the necessary support to permit patients to remain, unaided, in an upright position are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,750,659 and 4,029,089, and these devices have contributed toward the rehabilitation of paralysis, cerebral palsy and nervous disorder patients. However, prior art devices are usually of such bulk and complexity as to be difficult to use by children, expensive, and usually limited to supporting the patient in an upright, or substantially upright, position.
It is an object of the invention to provide a convertible parapodium orthopedic device especially suitable for use by children which permits crutchless standing in an upright position, or may be easily converted to support the child in a seated position.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a convertible parapodium which is of economical manufacture, relatively concise in configuration, easily transported, may be readily used by the unskilled, and is easily cleaned and maintained.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a convertible parapodium which may be readily adjusted to the size of the user, which permits the patient to be easily placed therein or removed therefrom, and wherein orientation between leg and back supporting portions of the parapodium are maintained at a predetermined angular relationship in both the standing and seating adjusted positions to insure adequate support of the body portions in both operating modes of the device.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a parapodium convertible between standing and seated modes wherein locking means prevent accidental operation of the device between its operating modes, and yet, the device is readily converted between standing and seated conditions by the unskilled and without hardware modification.
In the practice of the invention the convertible parapodium includes a base upon which the patient's feet are supported. Columns are affixed to lateral portions of the base and arise therefrom each having a pivot plate attached to their upper end having leg bracing means extending therebetween. The pivot plates also provide the support for a pair of parallelogram linkages, and latching structure is mounted upon the pivot plates controlling pivoting of the parallelogram linkages between standing and seated conditions.
Back supporting means are pivotally attached to the other end of the parallelogram linkages, and the linkages also constitute the support for seat structure. The seat structure will be disposed at the rear of the patient's legs during the standing mode, and is located below the patient's hips when the parallelogram linkage is pivoted to the seated mode.
The parallelogram support of the back supporting means maintains the back support parallel of the columns in both the standing and seated modes, and patient confining means in the form of a chest pad is mounted upon the back support extending across the patient's chest. Legs affixed to the back support extend in a downward direction having a lower end engaging the floor when the parapodium is in the seated mode.
The latches mounted upon the pivot plates hold the parallelogram linkage in the upright condition, and when it is desired to use the parapodium in the seated mode the latches are operated to permit the desired pivoting of the linkages. The parapodium structure is relatively open and accessible for cleaning and maintenance, and the structural components are of such configuration and fabrication as to be economically manufactured.